Snitching: Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice

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Snitching: Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice

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There are a lot of reasons a prison inmate will talk to his fellow prisoners, and there are even more reasons those prisoners will give up information, true or not, to authorities. For years the U.S. justice system has used this inside information, or snitching, to prosecute and convict a wide variety of criminals—but is that information reliable? How can differing motives stain the integrity of prison accounts, and is it fair to rely on these in court

Guests:

Alexandra Natapoff, author "Snitching: Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice; she is a law professor at Loyola Law School here in Los Angeles

Ted Rohrlich, former Los Angeles Times investigative reporter, he is probably most noted for an award-winning series that exposed the cozy relationship between law enforcement and the jailhouse informants who lied that they overheard "confessions" to win easier treatment. He also was co-lead reporter on a Pulitzer finalist investigation into inequities in murder investigations and prosecutions in Los Angeles County. He is currently Research Coordinator in the Center for Public Accountability at SEIU721.

Bruce Lisker, recently released from prison on bail, after a federal judge overturned his conviction for murdering his mother; testimony from a jailhouse snitch figured strongly in the prosecution's case


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Comments

Larry

8 months ago

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As a member of the Bruce Lisker jury, I can tell you that we did not consider the 'snitch' evidence to be dependable and did not use it when we came to our decision.

michael from Orange

8 months ago

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Yet another great show Pat. I think all your guests on this topic have wonderful points. This topic just shows how often our prosecutors and police departments become lazy and use the path of least resistance to get prosecutions and to justify notches on their holsters at all costs including whether we have a fair justice system or not. This is why if I ever sit on a jury trial again I will always be more suspect of the prosecution's evidence presented at trial than the defendants. Too many innocent people are going to jail because of our sloppy prosecutors and police departments.

Karoline

8 months ago

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The only thing I know about all systems, be they health care systems, LAUSD, or the criminal justice system, is that they are enormously difficult to change because systems actively seek ways and methods to sustain themselves.

Any system seeks to keep itself alive and static because so many people are dependent on it being so. It stinks.

I'm glad Bruce Lisker fought his way out. That was a good news story.

Malinda

8 months ago

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I called during the show, but could not stay on the line because I was at work.
I believe my brother was convicted of a murder he did not do. All they had was the mother of the victim pointing her finger 2 years after the crime, and a jailhouse snitch. I'm not even sure he was ever in the same cell. He was definitely planted if so. When this crime was committed, my brother was working on an oil island, out in the ocean. They have on record that he worked that day and his co-workers can vouch for him. I asked his attorney( who we later found out, had a record of the majority his defendants being convicted of life or death sentences) why he did not bring this up. He told me it was because a boat left the island every hour on the hour. I think someone would have known something was up if he had left work and returned before the shift was over. Furthermore they had nothing more to connect him to the crime. No fingerprints, no weapon, no motive. Any evidence they had, nothing of which connected him, was destroyed along with evidence of other crimes that happened around the same period of time.
When he was arrested, he thought it was a mistake and when they found out he would be released. He was sentenced 21 years to life. He is still in there and has been up for parole many times, but denied each and every time. He has been a model prisoner and has done nothing but improve himself in any way he could, spiritually, education, any opportunity he was offered. He has been in over 25 years and is now dealing with a law suit against the parole board on the Habeas Corpus Act to show cause to keep him imprisoned. As far as DNA tests, they would have to dig up the body to see if there was any match. And I'm sure the family would not allow this. I believe he was railroaded and that someone got away with murder and is probably still free.
This has not only affected my brother, but has affected everyone of his family and close friends. His wife has been there for him all these years. Our father stayed alive as long as he could, he wanted to see him free. Parkinson's Disease took him from us in August 2005. Our mother is still alive, hopefully he will be released before she's gone.
I will never serve on a jury, not because I don't want to, but because of the injustice of our Criminal Justice System. I'm excused every time.
Snitches should not be used, they will say anything to receive lighter sentences, or anything they can get to make their stay inside jail or prison more comfortable, especially if they're planted.

acaipowleet

7 months, 2 weeks ago

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What do you guys think about the upcoming 2012?

Planet X Nibiru, if really exists and approaching, can be a big threat to the earth and its people.
Michel de Nostredame predicted some kind of huge space collision that will occur around year 2000.
Will the comet or asteroid really fall in the aegean sea (Greece) and huge tsunami will hit the mount Olympus (2917 metres high).
If he is right and mayans as well, it looks like the end of the world is really close.

I think something is going on alrdy... so many earthquakes in the last year, h1n1,irak....

What do you guys think? Should we worry?

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